Ratchet open-ended wrench



Feb. 29, 1944.

c. E. ASHTON RA'I'CHET OPEN-ENDED WRENCH Filed Feb. 1 194s INVENTdR. ("has .5. Hal: ton

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,343,130 RATCHET OPEN-ENDED .WRENCH Charles Edwin Ashton, Stockton, Calif. Application February 1, 1943, Serial No. 474,269

2 Claims.

This invention relates to what are commonly known as openend wrenches, an object of the invention being to provide a wrench of this type particularly constructed so that it may be effectively used to either advance or retract nuts located' where operating'space for the necessary movement of the wrench handle radially of the nut is extremely limited, and ordinary wrenches pose for which it is desi ned.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench showing the jaw in its normal position relative to the wrench handle.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view of the wrench, with the yoke in section and the near limiting or locating plate turned to partially cover the jaw opening.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section of the wrench on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detached view of a different sized jaw for use with the same handle and yoke.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the wrench comprises a handle I having a rigid yoke or fork 2 projecting from one end thereof. Disposed between the sides of the yoke is a jaw block 3 having a transverse jaw opening J of a size and shape to fit a nut or bolt head, preferably hexagonal, of a given size. The block is removably and turnably mounted in the yoke by means of a removable headed bolt 4 passing therethrough. The block on the side opposite the jaw opening is provided with a row of ratchet teeth 5 concentric with the axis of rotation of the block. When the jaw opening is substantially alined with the longitudinal axis of the handle, the endmost tooth at the leading end of the row is normally engaged in driving relation by a dog 6 pivoted in the yoke adjacent-oneend thereof. This dog is yieldably urged into engagement with the teeth by a suitable spring 'I and may be pulled clear of the teeth when desired by means of a thumb trigger 8 pivotally mounted on one side of the handl and operatively connected to the dog by a flexible link 9. Inasmuch as the handle must be inverted from the position in which a nut engaged by the jaw may be advanced to a position in which such nut may be retracted, or for operating on a nut which is relatively upside down, an auxiliary trigger He may be disposed on the opposite side of the wrench and connected to the trigger -8 by th common pivot pin l0. In this manner, the dog may be conveniently released by-the same thumb irrespective of the inverted position of the handle.

In order to restore the jaw block to its normal handle-alined' position after the dog is released from engagement with any tooth, a spring H is provided between the block and yoke, which spring is slack when the-jaw occupies its normal position and becomes loaded upon relative rotation of the handle and jaw block in a direction to move the dog about the row of teeth toward the trailing end of the row. In the present instance this spring is shown as being of the helical torsiontype, the turns of which are disposed about the bolt 4 and project into an annular recess I2 formed in the block (see Fig. 3). One end of the spring is straightened and is engaged and is engaged in a radial slot I3 formed in the adjacent face of the block, while the other end of the spring is also straightened and projects in countersunk relation through the bolt hole in the adjacent side of the yoke, terminating in a bent end as at M held under the head 4a of the bolt. If desired, a short sleeve [5 may be mounted on the bolt 4 to keep the coils of the spring from contacting the bolt. The wrench is admirably adapted for use where there is a minimum of operating or turning space for the handle, since it will be seen that after the jaw is initially engaged with a nut, the rotation of the nut through a certain arc may be obtained if necessary by repeated ratcheting movements of the handle through small arcs.

When the jaw block has thus been turned to its limit relative to the handle, the jaw is withdrawn from the nut, and the trigger 8 is actuated to release the dog. The jaw block then at once reassumes its normal position relative to the handle, and may then be re-engaged with the nut for further turning of the latter if necessary. The operative steps are the same whether a nut is being advanced or retracted, the wrench however being inverted for one operation or the other, as previously stated.

It is at times desirable to enable the jaw to be definitely located on the nut when the latter cannot be readily seen by the operator. I therefore mount what may be termed locating plates IS in connection with the jaw block. These plates, which are duplicates of each other, are turnable relative to the jaw block on bolt 4 and are disposed between said block on opposite sides and the corresponding sides of the yoke.

Each plate has an opening I! in its peripheral edge symmetrical to and at least as large as jaw opening J, and another similarly disposed but circumferentially spaced opening I8 of a size to fit about the bolt corresponding to the particular sized nut from which the jaw block is intended and smaller than such nut. The plates are separately and adjustably maintained in any one of the three positions by spring pressed detents IS in the jaw block engageable with properly spaced sockets 2! in the adjacent faces of the plates Hi.

In operation, if no nut locating means is necessary, the plates I6 are disposed so that openings I? register with the jaw opening. If a locating of the jaw on the nut is necessary, even if the bolt of such nut projects well from the same, the corresponding plate 16 is turned so that opening 18 alines with the jaw opening J, thus providing a nut engaging shoulder inwardly of opening J. It will be understood that only one plate H6 at a time is ever thus adjusted, the other plate always remaining with opening I! in register with the jaw opening.

To adapt the wrench as a Whole for use on different sized nuts, different jaw blocks 3a may be provided, each having a different sized jaw opening J. The row oi ratchet teeth a on each block 3a however is on the same radius as teeth 5 on block 3, and the central hole H also is of a size to receive bolt 4, so that any such block 3a may be mounted in the yoke in place of block 3, and the teeth 5a will properly cooperate with dog 6.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wrench, a handle, a jaw block having a nut engaging opening extending the full thickness of the block, means including a pivot bolt turnably mounting the block in connection with the handle, means to control the relative turning of the block and handle, and a locating plate turnable on the bolt and disposed against one face of the block; said plate having an opening smaller than that of the jaw but larger than the bolt of a nut engageable with said jaw opening, adapted to register with the jaw and opening upon predetermined rotation of the plate the plate to one side of its opening being cut away to fully expose the jaw opening when the plate is turned to place its opening out of register with the jaw opening.

2. A wrench as in claim 1, with another similar plate similarly mounted on the opposite side of the block and adjustable independently of the first named plate.

CHARLES EDWIN ASHTON. 

